Surah Qalam
Quranic Exegesis
Introduction
Surah Qalamforms a pair with Surah Mulk the previous surah with regard to the subject discussed in them: In Surah Mulk, the Quraysh have been warned of the Day of Judgement while in Surah Qalam they have been warned of the punishment which a nation necessarily faces in case it denies the Prophet (sws) directly assigned to it.
Addressees of the Surah
Though the Prophet (sws) has also been addressed at various places in this surah, yet a little deliberation shows that in all places it is actually directed at the Quraysh.
Period of Revelation
It is evident from the subjects discussed in it that it was revealed in Makkah during the phase of Inzar of the Prophet's mission.
Central Theme
By comparing the Book presented by the Prophet (sws) and the character of the Prophet (sws) with the presumptive notions of the Quraysh and character of its leaders, the Quraysh have been warned that the rebellious and arrogant attitude adopted by them against the Book and Prophet of Allah have made all their treasured possessions and estates vulnerable to punishment. They should be sensible for they have nothing to say. They are only indulging in idle talk because they are being given respite by the Almighty: it shall not be long before His decree arrives.
At the end of the surah, the Prophet (sws) has been directed to patiently wait for this decree.
Explanation
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیْمِِ
نٓ وَالْقَلَمِ وَمَا یَسْطُرُونَ (1) مَا أَنتَ بِنِعْمَۃِ رَبِّکَ بِمَجْنُونٍ (2) وَإِنَّ لَکَ لَأَجْراً غَیْْرَ مَمْنُونٍ (3) وَإِنَّکَ لَعَلی خُلُقٍ عَظِیْمٍ (4) فَسَتُبْصِرُ وَیُبْصِرُونَ (5) بِأَیْیِّکُمُ الْمَفْتُونُ (6) إِنَّ رَبَّکَ ہُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِیْلِہِ وَہُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُہْتَدِیْنَ (7) فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُکَذِّبِیْنَ (8) وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْہِنُ فَیُدْہِنُونَ (9) وَلَا تُطِعْ کُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّہِیْنٍ (10) ہَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاء بِنَمِیْمٍ (11) مَنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَیْْرِ مُعْتَدٍ اَثِیْمٍ (12) عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَلِکَ زَنِیْمٍ (13) أَن کَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِیْنَ (14) إِذَا تُتْلَی عَلَیْْہِ آیَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِیْرُ الْأَوَّلِیْنَ (15) سَنَسِمُہُ عَلَی الْخُرْطُومِ (16) إِنَّا بَلَوْنَاہُمْ کَمَا بَلَوْنَا أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّۃِ إِذْ أَقْسَمُوا لَیَصْرِمُنَّہَا مُصْبِحِیْنَ (17) وَلَا یَسْتَثْنُونَ (18) فَطَافَ عَلَیْْہَا طَاءِفٌ مِّن رَّبِّکَ وَہُمْ نَاءِمُونَ (19) فَأَصْبَحَتْ کَالصَّرِیْمِ (20) فَتَنَادَوا مُصْبِحِیْنَ (21) أَنِ اغْدُوا عَلَی حَرْثِکُمْ إِن کُنتُمْ صَارِمِیْنَ (22) فَانطَلَقُوا وَہُمْ یَتَخَافَتُونَ (23) أَن لَّا یَدْخُلَنَّہَا الْیَوْمَ عَلَیْْکُم مِّسْکِیْنٌ (24) وَغَدَوْا عَلَی حَرْدٍ قَادِرِیْنَ (25) فَلَمَّا رَأَوْہَا قَالُوا إِنَّا لَضَالُّونَ (26) بَلْ نَحْنُ مَحْرُومُونَ (27) قَالَ أَوْسَطُہُمْ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّکُمْ لَوْلَا تُسَبِّحُونَ (28) قَالُوا سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِنَّا کُنَّا ظَالِمِیْنَ (29) فَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُہُمْ عَلَی بَعْضٍ یَتَلَاوَمُونَ (30) قَالُوا یَا وَیْْلَنَا إِنَّا کُنَّا طَاغِیْنَ (31) عَسَی رَبُّنَا أَن یُبْدِلَنَا خَیْْراً مِّنْہَا إِنَّا إِلَی رَبِّنَا رَاغِبُونَ (32) کَذَلِکَ الْعَذَابُ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَۃِ أَکْبَرُ لَوْ کَانُوا یَعْلَمُونَ (33) إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِیْنَ عِندَ رَبِّہِمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِیْمِ (34) أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِیْنَ کَالْمُجْرِمِیْنَ (35) مَا لَکُمْ کَیْْفَ تَحْکُمُونَ (36) اَمْ لَکُمْ کِتَابٌ فِیْہِ تَدْرُسُونَ (37) إِنَّ لَکُمْ فِیْہِ لَمَا تَخَیَّرُونَ (38) أَمْ لَکُمْ أَیْْمَانٌ عَلَیْْنَا بَالِغَۃٌ إِلَی یَوْمِ الْقِیَامَۃِ إِنَّ لَکُمْ لَمَا تَحْکُمُونَ (39) سَلْہُم أَیُّہُم بِذَلِکَ زَعِیْمٌ (40) أَمْ لَہُمْ شُرَکَاء فَلْیَأْتُوا بِشُرَکَاءِہِمْ إِن کَانُوا صَادِقِیْنَ (41) یَوْمَ یُکْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَیُدْعَوْنَ إِلَی السُّجُودِ فَلَا یَسْتَطِیْعُونَ (42) خَاشِعَۃً أَبْصَارُہُمْ تَرْہَقُہُمْ ذِلَّۃٌ وَقَدْ کَانُوا یُدْعَوْنَ إِلَی السُّجُودِ وَہُمْ سَالِمُونَ (43) فَذَرْنِیْ وَمَن یُکَذِّبُ بِہَذَا الْحَدِیْثِ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُہُم مِّنْ حَیْْثُ لَا یَعْلَمُونَ (44) وَأُمْلِیْ لَہُمْ إِنَّ کَیْْدِیْ مَتِیْنٌ (45) أَمْ تَسْأَلُہُمْ أَجْراً فَہُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ (46) أَمْ عِندَہُمُ الْغَیْْبُ فَہُمْ یَکْتُبُونَ (47) فَاصْبِرْ لِحُکْمِ رَبِّکَ وَلَا تَکُن کَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَی وَہُوَ مَکْظُومٌ (48) لَوْلَا أَن تَدَارَکَہُ نِعْمَۃٌ مِّن رَّبِّہِ لَنُبِذَ بِالْعَرَاء وَہُوَ مَذْمُومٌ (49) فَاجْتَبَاہُ رَبُّہُ فَجَعَلَہُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِیْنَ (50) وَإِن یَکَادُ الَّذِیْنَ کَفَرُوا لَیُزْلِقُونَکَ بِأَبْصَارِہِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّکْرَ وَیَقُولُونَ إِنَّہُ لَمَجْنُونٌ (51) وَمَا ہُوَ إِلَّا ذِکْرٌ لِّلْعَالَمِیْنَ (52)
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful.
This is Surah Nun1. The pen bears witness2 [in the scriptures written by it] and [this Qur’an also] which [now] these [scribes are] writing [by it] that you are not, by the grace of your Lord, possessed, and indeed for you is a reward unending, and verily you are of a lofty character3. So it shall not be long before you shall see and they shall also see which of you has been led away4. Verily, your Lord only best knows those who have strayed from His path and those who are rightly guided. (1-7)
So, give no heed to these disbelievers. They desire that you be flexible, then they will also be flexible. And heed not [among them every person who is] swearer of false oaths, despicable, maker of evil gestures, who goes about sowing seeds of dissension, forbidder of good, transgressor, usurper of rights, cruel and moreover is rootless5. This is so because he has wealth and children6. When Our revelations are recited to him he cries out ‘These are but tales of the ancients’7. [He thinks that he has a big nose. Listen! you shall see that] on this snout will We brand him8. (8-16)
We have tried them just as We tried the owners of the orchard when they vowed that they would surely pluck the fruit of their orchard in the morning and would not leave anything [for the poor and the needy]. Then whilst they were asleep a mover from your Lord moved through it [O Prophet!] in such a manner that [their blossoming orchard] became like a crop harvested. So at daybreak they called out to one another ‘Go early in the morning to your plantation if you are to pick its fruit’. Then off they went whispering to one another ‘No needy person should set foot in this [orchard] today’. And they proceeded very excitedly [to their destination] thinking that everything was under their control. But when they saw it, they cried out ‘Surely we have lost our way; in fact, we have been ruined’. Said the most upright among them ‘Did I not tell you: ‘why do you not glorify the Lord?’’. They cried out ‘Glory be to our Lord; verily it is we who were the wrong-doers’. Then they started blaming one another. ‘Woe to us’ they cried. ‘We have been great transgressors. Perhaps our Lord will give us in its place something better than it. To Him do we [now] turn [in repentance].’ [O people of Makkah! you are denying this Prophet. So take heed] in such a way shall the punishment come, and the punishment of the Hereafter shall be much greater than this if they only knew.9 (17-33)
For those, however, who fear [this punishment] there are gardens of bliss with their Lord. [You reckon that this would never be. So] are We to deal with those who submit to Us as We deal with those who transgress? What is the matter with you? What is this judgement you have made?10 Have you a scripture in which you read that you will have there whatever you desire? Or have you a covenant with Us binding till the Day of Judgement that you will have what you yourselves ordain? Ask if any of them will take responsibility of this? Do they have some associates11 [who will take this responsibility]? Let them produce these associates if what they say be true. (34-41)
[No, they have nothing to say]. They must remember the day when a great tumult will take place and they will be called to bow in adoration and they will not be able to do so.12 Downcast shall be their looks; ignominy shall cover them. [These wrongdoers! their backs have now become stiff whilst] they also used to be called to bow in adoration when they were normal. (42-43)
So [now] leave Me with those who are denying this Message. We will lead them step by step [to their ruin] from a place they know not. I am giving them respite [O Prophet! so that they can do all what they can]. Truly powerful is My scheme. (44-45)
[Why don’t they listen]? Are you demanding some payment from them so that they are burdened with its cost? Or is it that they have knowledge of the Unseen [that they only will be successful in the Hereafter and] that they are writing it down? [No, nothing of this sort], so [O Prophet!] with perseverance wait for the judgement of your Lord and [with regard to your nation] be not like the companion of the fish [Jonah]13 when he called in anguish [from the belly of the fish]. If [at that time] had not the favour of His Lord found him, he [as a result of his hastiness] would have been cast in disgrace in the [very] wilderness in which [the fish had ejaculated him]. [But then he repented] so His Lord chose him [once again] and placed him among the righteous. (46-50)
[So persevere O Prophet! in the way of Allah] and [persevere in spite of the fact that] these disbelievers when they hear this Reminder [from you], it seems will almost stumble you with their eyes and say ‘He is surely possessed’. Yet it is only a reminder to all mankind. (51-52)